Dodgers: Five bold predictions for the Winter Meetings
By Jason Reed
4. The second base platoon alongside Logan Forsythe will become clear
Platoons are great in the game of baseball but they are not necessary. There are still the great players that can play every day, at the same position, only taking occasional off days. The Dodgers have that in Justin Turner, Corey Seager, Yasiel Puig and Cody Bellinger. A platoon is definitely needed with a second baseman that hits under .200 against right-handed pitching.
Enter Logan Forsythe.
I love Logan Forsythe, I think he was a great addition to the Dodgers last offseason. Forsythe is great in the field, mashes left-handed pitching (a huge concern for the Dodgers before 2017) and is a great clubhouse presence. The Dodgers found a perfect fit in Forsythe for a fairly good price.
However, all of those great things do not take away from the fact that Forsythe cannot hit right-handed pitching. Although he showed improvements in the postseason, Forsythe hit just .190 against his right-handed counterparts.
While Forsythe will definitely get a chance to be an everyday player next season, the Dodgers will at least address the issue in the Winter Meetings. At first, Kolten Wong was a perfect fit. However, after the Cardinals traded Diaz, Wong may be out of the picture.
Los Angeles could always re-sign Chase Utley to another one-year deal. The team could get someone like Jed Lowrie. Or, the Dodgers could reward Charlie Culberson’s strong postseason performance with a chance to platoon at the big league level.
Regardless, the Dodgers’ platoon plans will become clear during the Winter Meetings.